Social media is complex in its own right. Factor in the niche expertise required to understand and communicate B2B messaging to the right audience? Many of our clients struggle to even know where to start.
We get it. Metrics can be a maze, and the struggle is real. 😵💫
Fortunately, there are a few simple (and low-time commitment) strategies that can turn your social media game into a cost-effective powerhouse, adding value without breaking the bank.
Here are 9 must-know social media marketing basics to elevate your brand awareness and keep that pipeline flowing.
Overview
Know Your Audeince
More than 80% of U.S. adults say they use social media in some form. The good news: You don’t need to try and talk to all of them. The bad news: Figuring out how to talk to your right audience slice is harder than it looks.
The first step in knowing your audience is research.
This includes demographic data such as age, gender, income, location, and education. But it also involves psychographic data such as interests, hobbies, values, and attitudes.
Once you have this information, use it to create buyer personas that represent your ideal customers. Buyer personas help you tailor your messaging so it connects with your potential buyers.
Set Goals
It’s hard to measure success unless you know where you want to go. Set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound, AKA “SMART”.
These goals can look like:
- A 3% – 5% engagement rate per post
- 200 impressions per post
- 500 followers in the first 6 months
Remember to make the goals your own and keep them realistic!
By setting goals, you’ll be able to track progress and understand whether your social media marketing efforts are paying off.
Choose the Right Platform
Different social media platforms have different audiences and requirements.
The key is finding the right platform that suits your business needs.
For example:
- LinkedIn is a professional social networking site with around 740 million active users. It is ideal for B2B marketing as it focuses mainly on professionals, career opportunities, and job postings. This is where 90% of B2B social media marketing action happens.
- Instagram represents an excellent opportunity to present visual material to users, primarily under the age of 35 years. Instagram has over 1 billion monthly active users, and they have Facebook’s ad targeting abilities, giving advertisers the chance to pinpoint their target market by demographics and interests.
- Facebook is one of the most widely known and used social media platforms globally, with approximately 2.7 billion active users. It is famously known for its extensive ad targeting options and its ability to customize ads based on the demographics you choose. However, its core purpose is personal. B2B brands rarely break through, meaning your time and monetary investment is usually better spent elsewhere.
- YouTube is ideal if you are aiming to educate your target market with in-depth product or service reviews or how-to videos. YouTube has over 2 billion active users, and it emphasizes video content. It’s an excellent opportunity to show the personality of your brand and to establish stronger connections with your audience.
Your audience should drive your platform choice, not the other way around. (And if you followed step 1, you should know where they are!)
Create Quality Content
With so much content being produced and shared every day, you are competing with a lot of other brands, and your content needs to stand out.
Create quality content that aligns with your brand, engages your audience, and is visually appealing.
This includes:
- Visual content such as images, videos, and infographics.
- Unique and memorable messaging that uses humor, storytelling, and inspiring messages to connect with the audience.
- Short sentences, bullet points, and subheadings to break down your content and make it easy to read.
If you’re looking for more ideas, we wrote a whole blog of them.
Post regularly, but avoid overposting. Find the right balance of content quality and quantity that works for your brand and audience. Pro Tip: Look up your optimal industry average of posts per week! It’s typically around 3-5.
Engage With Your Audience
Social media is a two-way conversation. So when people comment, mention, or message you, respond back! Here are some ways to make your social posts more engaging to encourage conversations:
- Post polls on industry hot topics.
- Ask questions and encourage opinions in the comment section.
- Share industry news with your own insights.
Engaging with your audience can help build a relationship with your potential buyers. When people feel seen and heard, they are more likely to remain loyal or be interested in your product or service.
Stay Consistent
Consistency is key because it builds trust. Algorithms also prioritize content from accounts that regularly post engaging content, meaning that businesses that post consistently will get more exposure to their target audience.
But how can you remain consistent?
Create a content calendar, schedule your posts in advance, and decide on your posting cadency. Whether it’s once a week or ten times a week, scheduling tools like Sprout Social and Hootsuite are great examples of platforms to help you maintain a posting schedule.
Use Hashtags
One of the main reasons why hashtags are so important is because they improve the visibility of your content. Are you talking about a new tech product? A consulting service? An update to your manufacturing product? Use a hashtag.
By incorporating hashtags, you can make your content discoverable, and it becomes easier for the audience to you. When a user searches for a particular hashtag, they get a list of all the posts labeled with that hashtag, meaning you will appear in their feed.
Remember, the best way to add hashtags to your content is by seamlessly incorporating them. Pull out the main phrases or words in your sentences and make them a hashtag.
Here’s an example:
Our Monday Marketing Tip is the ultimate #MarketingGuide for companies in #lifesciences, #manufacturing, and #software! 🌐✨
Don’t miss out on exclusive insights, tips, and industry updates. Subscribe now to stay ahead in the game! Join here: https://bit.ly/4ajnYP2”
So, if you’re someone who adds 100 hashtags to the bottom of your post, this is your sign to stop. Social algorithms like hashtags generally, but if overused and not in context, they can label your post as “spam,” which will hurt your reach.
Don't Be Afraid of Emojis
Want to connect with your audience on a deeper level? Use emojis. 👀
Emojis are universal, and they can help convey personality, tone, and emotion in a way words alone cannot. They allow you to speak your audience’s language and foster a sense of community based on shared interests or feelings.
In today’s visually-driven society, aesthetics matter. Emojis can help to enhance your social media content by making it more appealing and welcoming as well as easier to read and quick to understand.
Not convinced yet?
As you know, social feeds are crowded and competitive, and as a marketer, you want your content to stand out. Emojis help you differentiate your content from others by acting as catchy headlines or attention-getting visuals that draw people’s attention and stop the scroll.
They convey messages instantaneously and leave an impression that plain text messages can’t match.
Track Analytics
Looking into social analytics gives you a deep understanding of your audience’s likes, dislikes, behavior, and demographics. Analytics also help you to measure your performance and success based on your KPIs.
You can then identify areas where you need to improve and make necessary changes to your campaign. If you aren’t currently checking your stats on a bi-monthly or monthly basis, start now.
The biggest mistake marketers make on social media is underestimating just how quickly trends change. One day a tactic works, the next day you lose 20 followers. So, it’s incredibly important to keep checking these analytics to make sure what your posting is still resonating… and if it’s not? Time to change the strategy.
Conclusion
Social media marketing can be a powerful tool for reaching and engaging with your audience–if done correctly. By following these social media marketing basics, you’ll have a solid foundation for creating a successful campaign.
Remember to tailor your approach to your audience and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and updates. With the right strategy, you can create a strong social media presence that can help your brand grow and succeed.
Ready to elevate your B2B marketing?
We help leading business-to-business brands hit their marketing goals. Get in touch to learn how Altitude Marketing can help you reach your peak performance.
